Mississippi’s Michael Farris Smith is one of the South’s greatest young novelists. His fiction shows us our region and ourselves with a striking, singular voice. He also spends his real life in Mississippi, and makes a strong argument that when it comes to politics, we all live in Mississippi now.

The great Southern musician’s final album comes out today. Chuck Reece interviews Allman’s producer, Don Was, along with Gregg’s manager, guitarist, and best friend about why “Southern Blood” might be the purest expression ever of Allman’s musical soul.

Our Southern Schooling columnists — Adam Jordan and Todd Hawley — have some challenges for public-school teachers in our region, who, in the wake of Charlottesville, are wrestling with how to teach about institutional racism and hate groups. They also offer some tools to help teachers get it done.

After the Confederate monuments in New Orleans came down, our Southern Food columnist, L. Kasimu Harris, took a road trip with two writing buddies to see if folks in Selma, Alabama, felt differently about the monuments. The rural South, Harris learned, is not always a feast for a food writer.